1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a device-installation-information distribution apparatus and a system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Increasing digitization of information in recent years has made image processing apparatuses such as printers and facsimiles for use in outputting digitized information and scanners for use in digitalizing documents indispensable. It is typical that such an image processing apparatus is configured as a multifunction peripheral having an image capture function, an image forming function, a communication function, and the like to be usable as a printer, a facsimile, a scanner, and a copier.
Using such an image processing apparatus via an information processing apparatus such as a PC (personal computer) such that, for example, a print job is transmitted from the information processing apparatus to cause the image processing apparatus to form and output an image is enabled by installing driver software on the information processing apparatus. It is typical for a large number of combinations of an information processing apparatus and an image processing apparatus to enable using the image processing apparatus via the information processing apparatus by installing a printer driver on the PC.
Management of using an image processing apparatus via an information processing apparatus in this manner may be carried out by granting limited privileges to users of the information processing apparatus. For example, such management may be carried out as follows. Operation settings of driver software configured to permit only monochrome printing and duplex printing for cost reduction are locked to prevent users from making unauthorized changes to the settings. Another scheme of setting a login status (login privilege level) of users logged into the information processing apparatus to a login status as a general user privilege (a general-user login privilege level) that is not authorized to modify system configuration may be employed to restrict unauthorized modification of the system configuration by a user.
However, installation of newly-added software is not permitted to the general-user login privilege level (login status) that is not authorized to modify the system configuration. Therefore, even installation of driver software that enables use of a newly-added device such as an image processing apparatus is restricted. To avoid such a disadvantage, a technique of embedding authentication information such as an ID (identifier) and a password by which login is authenticated as an administrative user to an information processing apparatus is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 2005-025477.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide a device-installation-information distribution apparatus and a system capable of avoiding a disadvantage that can occur in the following situation. Although an information processing apparatus is configured to, when program is to be installed on the information processing apparatus, change a login privilege on the information processing apparatus to a privilege authorized to install program, authentication information for use in logging into the information processing apparatus is changed.